2015 California Rules of Court

Rule 3.400. Definition

(a) Definition

A "complex case" is an action that requires exceptional judicial management to avoid placing unnecessary burdens on the court or the litigants and to expedite the case, keep costs reasonable, and promote effective decision making by the court, the parties, and counsel.

(b) Factors

In deciding whether an action is a complex case under (a), the court must consider, among other things, whether the action is likely to involve:

(1)Numerous pretrial motions raising difficult or novel legal issues that will be time-consuming to resolve;

(2)Management of a large number of witnesses or a substantial amount of documentary evidence;

(3)Management of a large number of separately represented parties;

(4)Coordination with related actions pending in one or more courts in other counties, states, or countries, or in a federal court; or

(5)Substantial postjudgment judicial supervision.

(Subd (b) amended effective January 1, 2007.)

(c) Provisional designation

Except as provided in (d), an action is provisionally a complex case if it involves one or more of the following types of claims:

(1)Antitrust or trade regulation claims;

(2)Construction defect claims involving many parties or structures;

(3)Securities claims or investment losses involving many parties;

(4)Environmental or toxic tort claims involving many parties;

(5)Claims involving mass torts;

(6)Claims involving class actions; or

(7)Insurance coverage claims arising out of any of the claims listed in (c)(1) through (c)(6).

(Subd (c) amended effective January 1, 2007.)

(d) Court's discretion

Notwithstanding (c), an action is not provisionally complex if the court has significant experience in resolving like claims involving similar facts and the management of those claims has become routine. A court may declare by local rule that certain types of cases are or are not provisionally complex under this subdivision.